USDA Deputy Secretary nominee Xochitl Torres Small enjoyed broad bipartisan support at her Senate confirmation hearing to replace former Deputy Jewel Bronaugh.
Torres Small won glowing reviews from Ag members for her work as USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development and is expected to receive swift Senate confirmation.
And while she couldn’t address some issues not in her purview on pesticides, animal diseases, biofuels and WOTUS, she did commit to look at reducing application red tape and other efficiency measures.
Torres Small said; “Looking at the regulations that would come under the purview of Deputy Secretary, sometimes it’s about the technology, making sure that the system we’re investing in works well on the front end for customer service, and that we’re prioritizing those investments. Sometimes, it’s about having an onboarding strategy that truly prepares the next generation of USDA workforce to be customer service focused.”
As Deputy Secretary, Torres Small would manage USDA’s day-to-day operations and its 100-thousand or so employees.